Box magazine bolt gun



(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. MASON. BOX MAGAZINE BOLT GUN i (NoModel.) 7 6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. MASON. BOX MAGAZINE BOLT GUN.

' Patented Sept. 3,1895.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W. MASON. BOX MAGAZINE BOLT GUN.

No. 545,708. Patented Sept. 3, 1895;

(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 5.

W. MASON. BOX MAGAZINE BOLT GUN.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

W MASON BOX MAGAZINE BOLT GUN.

No. 545,708. Patented Sept. 3, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MASON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE VINCHESTERREPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BOX-MAGAZINE BOLT-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,708, datedSeptember 3, 1895.

Application filed March 15, 1895- Serial No. 541,881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MASON, of New Haven, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inBreech-Loading Box-Magazine Firearms; and I do hereby declare thefollowing, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings andthe letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of thisspecification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a broken view, in side elevation, of one form which a gunconstructed in accordance with my invention may assume; Fig. 2, a planview of the arm; Fig. 3, a view corresponding to Fig. 1, but taken fromthe opposite side of the arm; Fig. 3, a detached view, in sideelevation, of the magazine cutoff thumb-piece; Fig. 3 a plan View of thesame part; Fig.4, a broken view of the arm in vertical longitudinalsection, the arm being shown in its closed position; Fig. 5, a view ofthe arm in vertical transverse section on the line a b of Fig. 4; Fig.6, a broken view, partly in side elevation and partly in verticallongitudinal section, showing in particular the eoaction of thefinger-lever and pivotal recoil-block; Fig. 6, abroken plan view of thefinger-lever; Fig. 7, a broken reverse plan view of the arm; Fig. 8, abroken view of the arm in longitudinal section, and designed to show inparticular the carrier in its normal and retired positions withreference to the box-magazine; Fig. 9, a similar view designed inparticular to show the magazine cut-oifs and the operating connectionsthereof; Fig. 10, a View corresponding to Fig. 9, but lesscomprehensive, and showing the forward magazine cut-off in its operatingposition; Fig. 11, a detached view, in side elevation, of thebox-magazine, showing the pivotal plate forming the rear magazinecut-off and the segmental slot formed in the magazine for the receptionand vertical movement of the carrier; Fig. 12, a View of the oppositeside of the magazine; Fig. 13, a detached plan view of the magazine;Fig.- 14, a detached plan view of the cut-off plate; Fig. 15, a viewthereof in vertical transverse section; Fig. 16, a detached view, inside elevation, of the carrier and carrier-arm; Fig. 17, a similar planview; Fig. 18, a detached plan view of the pivotal cut-off finger andslide; Fig. 19, a view thereof in side elevation.

My invention relates to an improvement in breech-loading box-magazinefirearms, the object being to produce a durable and convenient gunconstructed with particular reference to being used as a magazine or asa single-shot gun, to having its magazine charged from the bottom of theframe directly from the hand and without the use of packs made to beinserted into the frame, and to providing an indicator for indicating atany time the number of cartridges in the magazine.

WVith these ends in View my invention consists in the combination, witha chambered frame having a feeding-opening in its lower edge or bottom,of abox-magazine located within the chamber of the frame and having oneof its side walls slotted, and a pivotal carrier normally extending intothe box-magazine through the slot thereof, and a carrierarm to the outerend of which the carrier is pivoted and which is located between theslotted side wall of the box-magazine and the adjacent side wall of theframe, whereby the carrier by swinging it on its pivot may be clearedfrom the box-magazine to give clearance to the feeding of cartridgesthereinto through the opening in the bottom of the frame.

My invention further consists in the combination, with the box-magazine,of a carrier and an indicator connected with the carrier and exposedupon the outer face of the frame of the arm, which is provided with ascale to coact with the indicator to indicate the number of cartridgesin the magazine.

My invention further consists in the combination, witha box-magazine, ofa verticallymovable cut-off plate pivotally connected at its forward endto the box-magazine and forming a rear magazine cut-off andmeansprojecting through the adjacent side wall of the frame foroperating the said plate.

My invention further consists in the combination, with a box-magazine,of a forward cut-off comprising a pivotal cut-01f finger, one end ofwhich is adapted to be swung into the magazine, while its opposite endworks in a notch formed in the adjacent side wall of the frame, a slidein which the said finger is pivotally mounted, and means for operatingthe slide.

My invention further consists in certain details of construction andcombinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and *pointedout in the claims.

In carrying out my invention, as herein shown, 1 form a taperinglongitudinally-arranged central feeding-opening A in the lower edge orbottom of the frame B, at a point therein directly under thebox-magazine O, which is supported in its fixed position within thechamber B of the said frame by means of the lower tang D, to which it issecured in any approved manner. As herein shown, the feeding-opening Ais practically limited in size to the sizeof the cartridges to be fedthrough it, as that construction secures a better closure of the bottomof the frame; but, if desired, the opening at this point may be as largeas the bottom of the chamberB.

It will be apparent thatin order to feed the cartridges directly intothe opening some construction must be adopted which will permit thecarrier to be retired during the feeding process, for otherwise thecarrier would altogether prevent the introduction of the cartridges. Itherefore employ a carrier comprising a tapered finger E and a stem E,the said finger normally projecting inward into the box-magazine througha long segmental slot 0 formed in the sidewall (3 thereof, the otherside wall 0 of the magazine being practically unbroken, as seen in Fig.12. The said finger E extendsinward at a right angle from the rear endof the stem E, which is itself located in that portion of the chamber Blying between the side wall 0 of the magazine and the adjacent side wallof the frame. The forward end of the said stem E is pivotally connectedby means of a pin 6 with a carrier-arm E which plays up and down in thespace between the side wall (3 of the magazine and the adjacent sidewall of theframe. The said carrier-arm is connected at its forward endwith a hub E mounted in the frame and receiving the spindle or shank Fof the thumb-piece F, which performs the twofold office of providing forthe operation of the carrier against the tension of the carrier-spring Eand also of indicating the number of cartridges in the magazine at anyone time by coacting with a numbered or other suitably-graduated scale Fapplied to the outer face of the adjacent side Wall of the frame, asshown in Fig. 1.

As shown in Figs. 16 and 17, it will be seen that the stem of thecarrier is connected with the carrier-arm by a knuckle or stop joint,which limits the outward and inward pivotal action of the carrier.

A screw or pin 6, Fig. 8, is employed for binding the spindle F in thehub E segmental groove B before referred to.

The vertical movement of the carrier-arm is limited by the end walls ofthe segmental slot 0, formed, as aforesaid, in the box-magazine. Ashallow concaved segmental groove B formed in the adjacent side wall ofthe receiver and shown in Fig. 8, is provided for clearing theknuckle-joint just above mentioned.

The carrier-spring E is located under the butt-end of the gun-barrel G,and takes at one end into a notch formed to receive it in the hub E ofthe carrier-arm, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

A narrow slot B formed in the side wall of the frame adjacent to thecarrier, is provided for clearing the carrier when the same is retiredfor charging the box-magazine, and also for holding the'carrier in itsretired position against the tension of its spring E during the chargingoperation.

Having described the first and second features of my invention, I willnow proceed to set forth the mode of operating the same. When it isdesired to charge the box-magazine, the thumb-piece F is engaged by thethumb and pressed downward against the tension of the carrier-spring Euntil the carrierarm and carrier have been brought to the limit oftheirdownward position, in which they are stopped by the lower end wall ofthe concaved At this time the carrier is aligned with the narrow opening13 in the adjacent side wall of the frame, and is also closely adjacentto the feeding-openingA. Thefingeroranysmallobject held in the handis'then employed to swing the carrier out of the box-magazine and intoand through the said slot B as clearly shown in broken lines in Fig. 8.The thumb-piece F is now relieved of pressure, whereupon the spring F.Will act to press the carrier against the upper wall of the slot Bwhereby the carrier will be firmly held in its retired position. Thebox-magazine is now entirely unobstructed of the carrier and free forfeeding the cartridges, which may be introduced directly into it fromthe hand or from a pack held in the hand; but in no case are cartridgesintroduced in packs into the frame, as

- it is one of the particular objects of my invention to avoid the useof packs made to be inserted into the frame. It will be understood thatwhen the cartridges are being fed into the box-magazine the gun will beturned upside down. Now when the magazine has been fully charged a quickblow upon the projecting outer portion of the carrier drives the sameback through the opening B and causes its finger E to be shot into thebox-magazine through the long segmental opening 0 thereof, or thecarrier may be pushed back into the box-magazine by pressing upon it bythe thumb or fingers instead of giving it a blow. As soon as the carrieris clear from the slot 13 the carrier-spring B reasserts itself andbegins to exert a constant effort to raise the carrier through thelength of the said slot 0 ICO and lift the cartridges upward. Any upwardmovement of the carrier consequent upon the removal of a cartridge fromthe magazine will be accompanied by a corresponding movement of thethumb-piece, which as it moves over the outer face of the frame willindicate upon the scale F thereof how many cartridges are in thebox-magazine. I have shown a numbered scale; but any other scale whichwill answer the same purpose may be employed. The number of cartridgesin the magazine may be quickly read at any time by glancing at thescale, which thus becomes a most convenient accessory of the arm.

IVith reference now to the third feature of my invention the samerelates to rear and forward cut-offs for cutting off the box-magazine,as it were, to adapt the arm to be used as a single-shot arm and havethe cartridges fed to the gun-barrel one by one from the top of theframe. In this way the charge of cartridges in the magazine may beheldin reserve for emergencies.

The rear cut-ofi, which I will first describe, is designed to operateupon the heads and body portions of the cartridges, and employs avertically-movable cut ofi plate H,connected at its forward end with theside wall 0 of the box-magazine by means of a horizontal pin H, the saidwall of the box-magazine being suitably cut away to receive the plate,which, in effect, forms a continuation of it and which contains aportion of the segmental clearanceslot 0', as shown in Fig. 11. At itsrear end this plate has formed in it a horizontally-arranged slot Hwhich receives the inner end of an eccentric pin I, projecting inwardfrom the inner face of a magazine cut-off thumbpiece I,throughasegmental clearance-slotB formed in the adjacent side wall ofthe frame, as shown in Fig. 3. The thumb-piece I is located on theopposite side of the receiver from the thu nib-piece F, and is securedin place by a screw 1 This thumb'piece is furnished with a f riction-pin1 which springs into shallow holes t and t" for locking the thumb-piecein its elevated or normal position and its depressed or cut-oifposition. The upper edge of the cut-off plate II is turned inward, as ath. Then the plate is in its normal position or in the position which ithas when the cartridges are being fed from the box-magazine, itsinwardly-turned edge h forms a guide for giving direction to the forwardmovement of the cartridges before the breech-bolt J, and in thedischarge of this function corresponds with the inwardly-turned upperedge of the wall 0 of the magazine; but when the cutoff function of theplate comes into play the said edge It has the office of drawing theuppermost cartridge in the magazine downward for such a distance that itwill altogether escape engagement by the breech-bolt as the same ismoved back andforth, and as long as the plate is held in its depressedposition it will so hold the uppermost cartridge in the magazine. Inthis position of the plate, also,

C the llat upper face it of its edge it forms a bearing upon which thesingle hand-fed cartridges in part rest preparatory to being pushed intothe gun-barrel G. It will be understood that the required verticalmovement is imparted to the plate by the eccentric pin I.

The forward cut-off, which operates upon the ball ends of thecartridges, employs, as constructed by me, a pivotal cut-off finger K,having a flat upper surface It, a beveled inner edge is, and a concavedlower face The said finger is also constructed at its outer end with acircular operating projection or lug K, which enters a small slot Kformed in the adjacent side wall of the frame and only large enough toreceive it. The said cut-off finger is pivotally' mounted on a verticalpin 10 in the bifurcated forward end of a cut-off slide K having itsouter face constructed with a longitudinal rib 70 which enters acorresponding longitudinal groove k Fig. 9, formed in the side wall ofthe receiver, whereby the slide is supported in position and guided backand forth. At its rear end the slide is furnished with a dependinglug orwing K containing a vertically-arranged slot 70, which also receives theeccentric-pin I of the cut-off thumb-piece 1. Normally the pivotalcut-off finger K is retired and stands in line with the slide, as shownin Fig.9, with its circular operating-lug in the slot K as also shown inthis figure. When, however, the cut-off thumb-piece I is pushed downwardinto its depressed position, the pin I, acting in the slot 70 draws thesliderearward, and inasmuch as there is no play in the slot K for thelug K the pivotal cut-off finger is thrown around into a position inwhich it stands at a right angle with the slide and in which its beveledinner end extends into the box-magazine. As the finger swings around itsconcaved under face engages with the ball end of the uppermost cartridgeand draws the same slightly downward and holds it in a depressedposition. In this position of the finger also its flat upper face formsa bearing for the single hand-fed cartridges. Then when the cut-oft" thumbpiece is raised to its elevated or normal posi tion, the slide will bethrown forward and the finger positively swung back into line with itand out of range of the cartridges in the boxmagazine. It will beunderstood that inasmuch as both the rear and forward cut-offs areoperated through the agency of the pin and thumb-piece their operationis simultaneous. By preference I employ these two cut-offs together andoperate them simultaneously; but either may be employed to the exclusionof the other or without association with a coacting device, and, ifdesired, they may be operated separately. In many guns a rear cut-off isfound to be sufficient.

It will be understood that I am not compelled to employ the severalfeatures of my invention in one gun, but that one or more of them may beemployed, as found desirable.

I have not considered it necessary to de- IOC scribe the detailedconstruction of the arm in which I have embodied the several features ofmy improvement for purposes of illustration, and would have itunderstood that they may be used in any arms to which they areapplicable. Of the specific arm shown I will only further add that itsaction mechanism is actuated by means of a finger or operating lever L,swinging on two centers L, located in the side walls of the receiver.The said lever is constructed with two fingers L which take into notchesformed in an oscillating recoilblock M hung upon a horizontal pin M, andlifted into position to lock the breech-bolt J in its closed position.The arm is also furnished with a hammer N, which plays in a bifurcationof the recoil-block, and is operated bya spring N'and released by a scarN which in turn is released bya trigger N the sear having a sear-springN In view of the various changes suggested and of others which mightobviously be made I would have it understood that I do not limit myselfto the exact construction and arrangenient shown and described herein,but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations asfairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a breech-loading, box-magazine fire arm, the combination with achambered frame, having a feeding opening in its lower edge or bottom,of a box-magazine located within the chamber of the frame and having oneof its side walls slotted, a pivotal carrier normally extending into thebox-magazine through the slot thereof, and a carrier-arm, to the outerend of which the carrier is pivoted and which is located between theslotted side wall of the box-magazine and the adjacent side wall of theframe, whereby the carrier, by swinging on its pivot, may be clearedfrom the boxmagazine to give clearance to the feeding of cartridgesthereinto through the opening in the bottom of the frame, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a breech-loading, box-magazine fire arm, the combination with achambered frame, having a feeding opening located in its lower edge orbottom, of a box-magazine located within the chamber of the said frameand having one of its side walls slotted, a pivotal carrier, consistingof a finger and a stem, of which the former normally extends through thesaid slot into the magazine, a carrier-arm located between the magazineand the adjacent side wall of the frame, and having the stem of thecarrier pivotally connected with it, a carrier spring coacting with thesaid arm to lift the carrier, and a carrier thumb-piece connected withthe arm and arranged to be employed for depressing the same and thecarrier against the tension of the carrierspring, substantially as setforth.

3. In a breech-loading, box-magazine fire arm, the combination with achambered frame having a clearance slot formed in it, of a sta tionarybox-magazine located therein and having one of its side walls slotted, apivotal carrier, normally extending into the magazine through the slottherein, a carrier-arm located betweenthe magazine and the adjacent sidewall of the frame and having the carrier pivotally attached to it, acarrier-spring coacting with the said arm, and a carrier thumb-piececonnected with the arm for depressing the same and carrier against thetension of the carrier-spring to bring the carrier into line with thesaid clearance slot which is formed in the adjacent side wall of theframe, substantially as set forth, and whereby the carrier when sodepressed may be swung entirely out of the box-magazine and into thesaid slot in the frame.

4. In a breeclnloading, box magazine fire arm, the combination with achambered frame, of a stationary box magazine located therein and havingone of its side walls slotted, a pivotal carrier, normally extendinginto the magazine through the slot therein, a carrierarm located betweenthe magazine and the frame and having the carrier pivoted to it, a hubfor the said arm, mounted in the said frame, a carrier-spring actingthrough the said hub, and a carrier thumb-piece arranged upon theoutside of the frame, and having a shank entering the said hub wherebythe carrier and arm are depressed by the thumbpiece against the tensionof the carrier-spring, substantially as set forth.

5. In a breech-loading, box magazine fire arm, the combination with achambered frame, of a stationary box-magazine, having one of its sidewalls slotted, a pivotal carrier extending through the said slot intothe magazine, a carrier-arm located outside of the magazine and betweenthesame and one of the side walls of the frame, a carrier-spring, andmeans for limiting the upward and down ward movement of the carrier-armand hence the carrier, substantially as set forth.

6. In a breech-loading box-magazine firearm, the combination with achambered frame, of a box-magazine located therein, a pivotal carriernormally extending into the box-ma azine, a carrier-arm to the outer endof which the carrier is pivoted, and which is located between thebox-magazine and the frame, an indicator connected with the saidcarrier-arm and exposed upon the outerface of the frame which isprovided with a scale to coact with the indicator to indicate the numberof cartridges in the magazine, substantially as described.

7. In a breech-loading, box-magazine fire arm, the combination with achambered frame, of a stationary box-magazine located therein and havinga slot in one of its side walls, a pivotal carrier normally projectinginto the box-magazine through the said slot, a carrier-arm to which thecarrier is pivoted,a carrier-spring for pressing the carrier against thecartridges in the magazine, athumb-piece connected with the carrier-armand located upon the outside of the said frame, and a graduated scalelocated adjacent to the said thumb-piece, which coacts with it toindicate the position of the carrier in the magazine, and hence thenumber of cartridges therein, substantially as set forth.

8. In a breech-loading box-magazine firearm, the combination with abox-magazine, of a vertically movable cut-off plate pivoted at itsforward end and forming a rear cut-01f, a cut-off finger forming aforward cut-off, and means mounted in the frame of the arm for operatingboth of the said cut-offs, substantially as described.

9. In a breech-loading, box-magazine fire arm, the combination with abox-magazine, of a forward cut-off, consisting of a cutoff finger, and aslide in the forward end of which the finger is pivoted, and means foroperating the slide forward and backward to change the position of thefinger, which is normally in line with the slide but which is throwninward at a right angle thereto and into the magazine in discharging itscut-off function, substantially as set forth.

10. In a breech-loading, box-magazine fire arm, the combination with abox-magazine, of a forward cut-off, consisting of a cut-off finger,having its outer end constructed with a circular lug, which enters aslot in the adjacent side wall of the frame, and of a slide, in theforward end of which the said finger is pivotally mounted; and means foroperating the slide back and forth to retire the finger or bring it intooperation, substantially as set forth.

11. In a breech-loading, box-magazine fire arm, the combination with abox-magazine, of a forward cut-off, comprising a cut-off finger, havinga flat upper face, a beveled lower face, and a circular outer end, and ahorizontal slide, in the forward end of which the finger is mounted; andmeans for operating the slide back and forth to shift the position ofthe finger, the circular outer end of which forms a fulcrum for itsoperation and enters a slot in the frame of the receiver, substantiallyas set forth.

12. In a breech-loading, box-magazine fire arm, the combination with abox-magazine, of a vertically movable cut-off plate, pivotally connectedat its forward end with one of the side walls of the magazine andadapted at its rear end to form a rear cut-off, a cut-off finger forminga forward cut-off, a horizontally arranged slide, in the forward end ofwhich the said finger is pivotally mounted, and a cut-off thumb-piecelocated upon the outside of the frame and provided with an eccentric pinconnected with the plate and slide for their simultaneous operation,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MASON. Witnesses:

DANIEL H. VEADER, WVILLIAM S. BALDWIN.

